Oregon gubernatorial candidate Drazan accuses Gov. Kotek of making homelessness “chronic and permanent” as governor says crisis “wasn’t created overnight and won’t be solved overnight”

Oregon – “Homelessness must be rare and temporary but under Tina Kotek’s failed leadership it’s chronic and permanent.” Oregon Republican gubernatorial candidate Christine Drazan criticized Gov. Tina Kotek over the state’s homelessness crisis in an Oct. 9 post on X, accusing the Democratic governor of allowing homelessness to increase and promising a new approach focused on accountability, addiction recovery and mental health treatment. Drazan claimed homelessness had increased by 35% statewide and by 61% in the Portland metropolitan area under Kotek’s leadership. She said her administration would seek to “end homelessness as we know it” by measuring outcomes, prioritizing long-term sobriety and holding government agencies accountable for how they spend taxpayer money.

The criticism comes as homelessness remains a major issue ahead of Oregon’s November gubernatorial election, with recent reports documenting increases in the number of people experiencing homelessness even as the state has expanded shelter capacity. Drazan’s proposed plan, titled “Break the Cycle of Homelessness and Addiction,” argues that the state’s current response has failed people living on the streets and communities affected by the crisis. Her campaign says public spending should be judged by whether people move from homelessness into treatment, recovery and permanent housing, rather than by the amount of money allocated to services.

The proposal outlines a series of changes she says would redirect Oregon’s approach toward measurable results and long-term stability. Under the plan, Drazan would fully audit state spending on homelessness services and addiction programs, prioritize treatment and long-term sobriety, and help people experiencing homelessness reconnect with their families and communities when possible. She also proposed supporting law enforcement, fully funding state police, allowing local jurisdictions to clean up public spaces, increasing penalties for drug traffickers and changing grant requirements to favor recovery-focused services. Her plan calls for ending taxpayer funding for programs she says enable addiction and declaring a state of emergency over Oregon’s addiction and mental health crises.

Drazan’s criticism follows new homelessness figures reported by Axios in January. According to a Portland State University report, 27,119 people experienced homelessness in Oregon in 2025, a 35% increase from the previous count in 2023. More than 60% were unsheltered, while the state’s shelter capacity also increased substantially, with more than 3,000 additional beds. The Portland metropolitan area also recorded a sharp increase. A point-in-time count covering Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties found 12,034 people experiencing homelessness in January 2025, up 61% from 2023, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.

However, the figures come with an important qualification. Reporting by OPB and Axios noted that improved data collection, including changes to how Multnomah County counts people experiencing homelessness, contributed to the increases. Researchers have also pointed to affordable housing shortages and economic insecurity as factors driving homelessness. The figures therefore do not establish that the entire increase resulted from any single policy or administration. Kotek pushed back against the criticism in an Oct. 8 post on X, acknowledging that the crisis would not be solved overnight but arguing that the status quo was unacceptable.

“The homelessness crisis wasn’t created overnight and won’t be solved overnight, but the status quo is unacceptable,” Kotek wrote. She said she declared a homelessness emergency on her first day in office, adding that the state had created and maintained more than 6,200 shelter beds and helped nearly 26,000 households avoid losing their homes. She also pointed to declines in unsheltered homelessness in several parts of Oregon.

Photo Credit: Governor Tina Kotek on X

Those figures are consistent with the governor’s broader account of her administration’s response. In January, OPB reported that Kotek had extended the state’s homelessness emergency for a third time and said Oregon had created or preserved more than 6,250 shelter beds, housed more than 5,500 people who had experienced homelessness and helped nearly 26,000 households avoid homelessness through financial assistance. In June, Kotek’s office also reported that comparable year-to-year data showed unsheltered homelessness had declined by 6.4% statewide, although Multnomah County could not be included in that comparison because of changes to its counting methodology.

The competing messages highlight a central issue in Oregon’s gubernatorial race: how to address rising homelessness while measuring the effectiveness of state spending and services. Drazan is promising a stronger emphasis on accountability, addiction recovery and public safety, while Kotek points to expanded shelter capacity, homelessness prevention and reductions in unsheltered homelessness in some areas. With homelessness remaining a major concern across Oregon, the candidates are offering voters different approaches to a crisis that has persisted despite expanded state and local efforts.